GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady is shrewdly using opening WalMarts in the Chicago area as a "wedge issue" just as he promised a few months ago. The desperation for jobs and the need for economic savings in the Chicago area has brought around even Democratic Chicago Mayor Daley.
Check out this YouTube link to hear da Mayor explain why he supports WalMart ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_I1IAYdado&feature=youtu.be
If used right, this could be a huge development to show Brady's leadership potential. In April interview with Illinois Review, Brady said about using WalMart as an "wedge issue":
“It helps us with minority communities, it’s truth, it’s real,” Brady said. “It points to the dynamic differences between the political fiefdoms and the continuation of power for a few against the people they represent,” Brady said. “It really bothered me when – to counteract this -- they actually put $10 million into last year’s budget to help alleviate the “food desert” problem. We could have made hundreds of millions in tax revenue by letting the private sector alleviate the food desert problem.”
And ironically, those “food deserts” – the term used to describe economically-depressed areas major fresh produce retailers avoid because they drain major grocers’ financial resources – are a key element of First Lady Michelle Obama’s emphasis in fighting childhood obesity.
Allowing corporate entities like WalMart or Target doesn’t just bring in discount sales items, big box supporters argue, they most often serve as the center of a productive economic resource that can change a community.
